Jim Zona (FRA)

Selected to compete to his first World Championships in Nanning, Jim Zona will compete to his second Europeans in Montpellier. This 23 years old gymnast’s best events are floor exercise and high bar.

What made you start gymnastics?

I started gymnastics when I was 5. My brother and sister also did gymnastics and my mother was in charge of a club. So I was all the time at the gym jumping around! It was obvious for me to choose doing gymnastics.

What is a typical day like?

I wake up around 7:45, I take a breakfast and I start to work. I am a Computer Science student. Then I go to training from 9:45 until 12:30, and go to eat right after. From 13:30 to 15:00 I go back to my studies. I go to training from 15:30 to 18:30. Next, I enjoy some of the INSEP (French Olympic training center) superb facilities for recovery (Sauna, Steam, hot bath / cold, cryotherapy). I also have physical therapy sessions on the morning or the evening. I eat around 19:30 / 20, then it is relaxing time!

What is your gymnastics’ best memory?

My best memory is the Nanning World Championships last October. The facilities were great, the level amazing and pressure very high. This competition was great memory for me, especially as it was my first World Championships.

Do you feel more pressure with a European Championships organized in France, with the French audience?

To me the European Championships in France are obviously increasing the pressure. But it’s in a good way. We want to do our best for the audience and of course not to disappoint. It’s also a chance to perform in front of our families and friends, which is very rare after all.

A gymnast you admire?

I have always admired the elegant gymnasts like Alexei Nemov. He still is my main inspiration. Nowadays I appreciate the Japanese gymnastics as of course Kohei Uchimura but also Ryohei Kato. They are such elegant gymnasts for whom gymnastics seems « easy”. Among the Europeans, I like David Belyavskiy’s work.

What are your goals for the European Championships?

I want to qualify for the all-around final and reach the top 10. I would also like to qualify in the floor exercise final. Once you are in the final, anything is possible!

Thomas Bouhail about Jim: “ I like his “type” of gymnastics, he is very classy. I think he can surprise us with a good all-around result, even more on floor exercise.”